We have all seen the ‘Think Twice – Buy Local' stickers on the shop fronts of many local stores and if you were quick enough you may have seen the banners that briefly graced Victoria Avenue before being blown to bits in the first strong wind after they were put up.

The Best of Jersey is fully supportive of this campaign and it is our pleasure to champion local businesses that are truly excellent at what they do and of course there are many other local businesses that also provide a first class service that are not yet featured by us.

What I would like to do in the run up to Christmas is to urge everyone to have a look round our local shops before even considering buying over the internet. In many cases a local supplier can provide you with valuable advice and guidance and if they stock the product you are looking for and the price is reasonable why would you not buy locally? In particular I would like to mention the Jersey Markets, these offer a wonderful opportunity to buy fresh produce (much locally sourced) and much more, for some time the Markets have been under pressure from supermarkets and lack of parking so why not make a point of popping in and seeing what they have to offer.

A vibrant retail sector is a vital element of island life and benefits us all but unless we support this sector we will undoubtedly see a decline in the number and variety of shops that operate in the island.

Finally I am always interested in the views of local people on their experiences with local businesses, please let us know about those businesses that you like and why. Please either email me on jersey@thebestof.co.uk or click on the 'Recommend' tab on the website.

Hello and welcome to thebestof Jersey blog, I hope that both locals and visitors to the island will become involved. Please let us know about local businesses that go that extra mile and about things...